Classes

Qi Gong ~ The Silent Dance

Creating Sacred Space Within

Qi Gong is like yoga, but in an upright position. Unlike seated meditation customs, and Qi Gong is a “movement meditations”. The gentle, rhythmic movements of Qi Gong reduce stress, build stamina, increase vitality, and enhance the immune system. It has also been found to improve cardiovascular, respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic and digestive functions.

Those who maintain a consistent practice of Qi Gong find that it helps one regain a youthful vitality, maintain health even into old age and helps speed recovery from illness. Western scientific research confirms that Qi Gong reduces hypertension and the incidence of falling in the aged population. One of the more important long-term effects is that Qi Gong reestablishes the body/mind/soul connection.

Tai Qi

Tai Chi Chuan, commonly called Tai Chi, is about 700 years old. Tai Chi was invented in China as an internal Martial Art, cultivating both self defending and Qi Gong skills, as well as having medical aspect.The movements of Tai Qi are slow versions of defensive or aggressive positions and although it may appear not to be very strenuous it can in fact be very tiring using up a lot of energy. It is an excellent exercise for coordinating all of your body muscles by moving them at the same time. With Tai Qi, you learn to control your breathing, pulse and muscles coordination.. The health benefits of Tai Qi are the same as Qi gong.

The Six Healing Sounds is a Taoist qigong and sitting meditation. The Six Healing Sounds set falls on the health and spiritual/psychological end of the qigong spectrum. This set is a very calming routine and is an excellent qigong form to work in the evening. It helps shed the tensions of the day, calming your body and mind, leading to more restful sleep.

One way to master stress is to be aware of your breathing. When people feel panicked or unconsciously stressed, they tend to take short, shallow gasps of air. The resulting lack of oxygen restricts blood flow and causes muscles to tense. The way you breathe affects your whole body. Full, deep breathing is an effective way to reduce tension, feel relaxed, and reduce stress.

Breathwork comprises a variety of stand-alone breathing techniques, as well as breathing techniques that are integral to other mind body practices, like qigong, tai chi, and yoga.

Many breathwork techniques are particularly useful because you can do them anywhere and anytime. Focusing attention on the breath also serves the meditative function of allowing the mind to more easily release distressing thoughts and emotions. By allowing more air to enter your body and focusing your attention on your breath you calm the mind, slow down your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, and break the stress cycle. You also release carbon dioxide, allowing for more oxygen and adjusting the body pH.

In a private session, you would learn exercises that you can practice at home as part of your regular self-care regime. The exercises can be tailored to your individual energetic, physical and spiritual needs. A session would include:

• An energetic assessment
• The exercises
• A meditation to compliment the exercises
• Written copies of the instructions and meditations for the exercises
At each ½ hour-long session, it is reasonable to learn up to 2 exercises. Some people can learn more, some people less. I will work to fill your most pressing needs. A complete set of exercises for a daily routine can encompasses 8 to 10 separate exercises.